Monika Klinaviciute is one to watch in the makeup industry.
The makeup artist currently boasts an impressive 159k Instagram followers, and an additional 158k followers on TikTok.
In addition to her successful content creation career, Monika also works a 9-5 job in the finance industry.
Goss.ie spoke to Monika for our latest Up and Coming feature, in which she discussed how she became confident with putting her life online, and her favourite makeup products and hacks.
The makeup artist also candidly opened up about the hardships she’s faced and the anxiety she’s experienced being a foreign content creator in Ireland.
Find out more about Monika in our exclusive chat below:
Q. How did you first become interested in makeup, and how did you go about making it into a career?
It actually goes back to years ago. I was in sixth year about to do my Leaving Cert, and to be honest I was afraid that I wasn’t gonna get the points and basically wasn’t going to get into college.
I was doing a lot of modelling at Vanity X [at the time], and I thought ‘you know what, I’d love to try and be on the other side and do someone else’s makeup’.
So I actually ended up doing a course myself as I was preparing for Leaving Cert, all at the same time, because I felt afraid and it was gonna be a backup.
I ended up getting into college and getting what I wanted, so I started doing makeup on the side just as a hobby and freelancing on the weekend.
The whole social media aspect – I started Instagram a very long time ago, when the app first came out. I was just kind of sharing makeup looks, and one day I was in college and my phone was blowing up.
Huda Beauty had reshared one of my posts, and obviously brands resharing your work has a huge impact on your followers. That day alone I grew about 5,000 followers from that repost.
You get a bit of a kick, cause you’re like ‘I wanna keep going, I wanna see where this goes’. A lot of brands started reaching out and offering gifting; it was a dream, so I just kept posting.
It’s taken me such a long time, I mean for years I was stuck at about 20,000 followers. I was just stuck. I was constantly comparing myself to others, and it was so toxic and negative.
About a year ago, I changed my whole mindset not to compare myself to others because everyone has a different journey, and I started enjoying it a lot more.
TikTok then started growing a lot for me – TikTok is crazy, you can post one video and you just blow up. I got that bit of a kick and I wanted to do more.
In January/February I started breaking the curse of being stuck on 20,000 followers, and I was literally getting about 10,000 followers a day – it was growing that quickly.
Picture: Brian McEvoy
Q. Makeup artistry is so creative. Do you ever come home from your 9-5 and not have the energy/creativity levels to create content?
Trust me, I’ve had days where I’ve burned out like ‘I can’t do this!,’ but then to be honest when I step away from my computer and actually sit down and play with makeup, I switch off.
I really, really enjoy it and I switch off from my 9-5 job, which picks my brain the whole day. It’s a job that you have to think so much, and be really focused.
When it comes to doing makeup, I sit down and it’s sort of therapy for me. I just switch off and have fun with it.
I used to do really creative looks, but there were days I’d run out of ideas because I was so tired and I couldn’t think of anything.
To be honest, I used to force myself to do very creative looks because I thought that’s what was going to perform really well. But I just changed it and started doing stuff that I really enjoy myself.
I feel like my audience then enjoys it a lot more when I enjoy what I’m doing. If you’re doing something just for the sake of it, people are going to see that.
Q. Makeup artistry is such a saturated industry. What do you think makes your work unique?
Ooh that’s a really hard question, because it’s definitely gotten to a point where nearly every second person is doing makeup and it’s so difficult to stand out.
I think what I’m actually trying to work on myself at the moment is showing my personality even more. I want to share more than just makeup.
That’s how you form a connection with your following. But it’s difficult to show up every day when you’re just sitting at a computer and don’t have anything exciting to say.
I try to go to as many events as I possibly can, but sometimes it’s hard to keep it very interesting on Instagram Stories.
I think with makeup, every single person has their own way of doing makeup and their own style. I think everyone differs in a way.
It does come down to personality though, showing up and chatting with your followers.
Q. On that note, you recently opened up about suffering with a bit of anxiety over being seen as a minority in Ireland. Can you expand on this?
That’s been tough to deal with. When I started doing makeup, I started posting pictures, I never really came on [social media] to talk.
Just before Covid-19 hit, I wanted to come on my Instagram Stories and talk, but I found it so difficult – I was stopping myself because I thought ‘what if people judge me for my accent?’
There were people that were saying negative things about my accent at the start, and it was really throwing me off.
Over the years, I do feel like it’s been a lot harder to grow because I have a foreign name. I feel like I have to work a lot harder to get some sort of recognition.
I don’t know, it’s not to say that every brand or every content creator isn’t giving me the same recognition – no. There are so many amazing Irish brands and Irish content creators that I work with and they’re absolutely incredible.
But I do feel like I’ve always had to work so much harder for what I have. It’s taken me such a long time, and I feel like I don’t see many content creators with foreign names.
Irish people really, really support their own. They have each other’s back. I feel like I am part of that community, but at the same time I feel like I’m a little bit excluded and have to work so much harder to be included.
I’ve never talked about it because I’ve been like ‘maybe I’m overthinking it, maybe it’s in my head. But at the end of the day, I feel like you don’t feel a certain way for no reason.
I have so many incredible opportunities coming my way right now, I’m so grateful for it, but I definitely have to really push myself to the maximum to get to where I am – even reach out to people myself.
Q. How have you been feeling since you got this off your chest on social media?
Oh my God, I feel so much better. So much better. The minute I started recording I just started crying, ’cause I was like ‘should I ever do it?’
It’s so scary to be vulnerable on social media because people can pick your words apart and make it out to be something that it’s not.
But I felt like I had to be honest, because I can’t sit down and record and be all happy and smiley and give that positive energy out to my followers when I’m putting my phone down and actually crying. I just couldn’t do it.
@monika_mua_ Part 1 of 4 🫶🏼 GRWM while I share what ive been anxious and upset for a long time.. I want this to be a safe space where i can share the good and the bad, the entertaining but also very raw and real content here, were so quick to share the good but you guys dont see what goes on behind the happy content thats being shared so lets have a chat ❤️ #grwmroutine #grwmmakeup #chattygrwm #beingreal #contentcreator #makeup ♬ original sound – MONIKA 🧿
Amongst ourselves we talk about it, and they feel the same way. But nobody speaks up about it.
I did it for myself. I wanted to get it off my chest, move on and actually start enjoying making content again.
The minute I shared it I felt so much better, even though I was scared because I didn’t know how people were going to react to it.
I got so many lovely messages, and I actually got messages from brands that I currently work with and they were so appreciative of my work, and saying how much they love working with me.
I feel so much better, and it’s helping other people as well. I got a message from a girl saying she wanted to come on her Instagram Stories and talk because she realises it’s a part of social media growth, but she’s been stopping herself for a long time because she was afraid of people judging her accent.
I’ve had a couple of content creators telling me they actually changed their name. This is something that I personally thought about years ago.
My first name is Monika, it’s international it’s fine. But my second name is very long and complicated, but I was like ‘no, I can’t do this because nobody’s gonna remember me.’
@monika_mua_ Part 2 of 4 🫶🏼 a very raw and real chatty get ready with me! 🤍 #grwmroutine #grwmmakeup #makeup #chattygrwm #beingreal ♬ original sound – MONIKA 🧿
Q. Onto lighter topics. Who do you look up to in the makeup industry?
There are different people for different reasons.
My biggest inspiration from the very beginning has been Keilidh Cashell. I just admire her.
Not just her drive, and all her success, but she’s so incredibly supportive towards smaller artists. I had a collaboration with her where she was doing my makeup and she’s just so supportive.
She’s so down to earth, she wants others to become successful. Keilidh and Aideen [Murphy] both have their own makeup brands, but they both support each other and I really really support that.
It gets very competitive, and there can be a lot of bitchiness, but no, you would never get that vibe off her.
Q. What are your go-to products?
On the subject of Keilidh, the one product I can’t live without is the Liquid Silk by KASH Beauty.
It’s honestly the best thing ever. I can’t leave [the house] all glammed up and not put that on. It finishes the whole look. I absolutely love it.
Another product I’ve been loving which is a new launch is the Hydra-Tint by Sculpted by Aimee. Definitely a summer must-have, especially for those who might not like wearing a lot of makeup.
Something else I can’t live without are the Rare Beauty blushes. Love them.
Q. What’s your favourite makeup hack?
Let me think. That’s a really good question…
You know all the face-lifting tricks with concealer and contour. I genuinely think they work absolute wonders.
The application of makeup makes the biggest difference in the world. I’ve done a couple of videos doing one half of my makeup a different way to the other half, and it makes such a big difference.
Q. Which celebrities face would be your dream to paint?
I’d say either Miley Cyrus or Kim Kardashian.
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Q. Would you ever like to launch your own makeup brand in the future?
Yeah! I think that’s every makeup artist’s dream.
I definitely have the feeling that I want my own one day. Hopefully one day.
Even a collaboration with a makeup brand would be a dream I think.
Q. Have you any exciting plans for the year ahead?
Yeah, there are things I’m working on – but I’m not able to say much.
There’s always something exciting happening definitely. I’m pushing myself.
I’m finally at that point where I’m not stopping myself any more, I’m just going to keep going!
